The present invention relates generally to a water purification system, and more specifically to a system for generating potable water from sources which may be contaminated with impurities susceptible of being converted to a non-toxic state through treatment with ozone. The water purification system employs an ozone generator which is capable of generating approximately 2% of ozone in an atmosphere of either air or 3% of oxygen, and with the system being designed to continuously inject the ozone-enriched atmosphere into the water through a venturi injection system. The water purification system of the present invention is self-contained, and may be efficiently packaged in a relatively modest volume.
As standards of living improve, the stress effects upon the environment, including sources of water, become more severe and more drastic. In other words, the quality of normally available ground water, surface water, and other normal sources of drinking water is inversely proportional to the standard of living of persons adjacent these sources. Also, as societies become more affluent, that society tends to create more undesirable effluents. While these effluents may be discharged both into the air as well as into the soil, the undesirable constituents of these effluents will frequently find their way into the normal water supply. Such water supplies include, traditionally, wells which tap the ground water, as well as systems for taking surface water from lakes, rivers, ponds, and the like. Surface water normally requires purification before introduction for distribution into supplies of potable water, while ground water supplies have traditionally been regarded as safe, although instances of contaminated ground water appear to increase as society becomes more mechanized and complex and as disposal of hazardous waste materials becomes more common.
In instances where there is a danger of obtaining contaminated water in a conventional water supply, self-contained purification systems are often utilized. One recognized material for purifying certain contaminated waters is ozone, with ozone having been found to have a profound effect upon microbiological organisms as well as having an effect upon organic materials which, when oxidized, become harmless to humans for consumption. Generally, however, ozone concentrations in excess of about 2 parts per million is required to destroy microbiological life, with the rate of destruction increasing with higher concentrations of ozone. Similar effects are observed with organic contaminants. Also, in order to increase the efficacy of the exposure to ozone, and in accordance with the present invention, a re-circulating feature has been introduced into the system.